Asahi Kasei partners with HighChem for production, sale of Acetolyte

Asahi Kasei, a Tokyo-headquartered diversified global company, has concluded a non-exclusive license agreement with HighChem Shanghai, an affiliate of HighChem, with operations focused on trading in China. Through this partnership, HighChem Shanghai will produce and sell Acetolyte, a novel acetonitrile-containing electrolyte based on Asahi Kasei’s technology, in China, according to a media release.  

This marks the first license agreement for Asahi Kasei’s novel electrolyte technology in China, and grants HighChem Shanghai a non-exclusive license to produce and sell the electrolyte for the local market.

Leveraging HighChem Shanghai’s extensive customer base and established presence in China’s battery industry, the partnership aims to drive market adoption of the novel electrolyte while ensuring a reliable, responsive supply to local customers, the media release said.

“Having focused on the lithium-ion battery business for nearly 20 years, HighChem has knowledge and extensive business experience in the Chinese market,” said Yueyuan Long, General Manager of HighChem Shanghai. “Acetolyte offers excellent low-temperature performance, and we believe that our collaboration with Asahi Kasei will enable us to maximize the value of this technology and open up new possibilities for the battery industry.”

“We have steadily expanded the Acetolyte business through licensing partnerships in Europe. This first license agreement in China represents a significant advance in the global extension of our technology,” said Osamu Matsuzaki, Senior Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei and Head of Corporate R&D. “By partnering with HighChem Shanghai, we can deliver innovative solutions to customers in this major market while further strengthening our licensing-based growth strategy.”